This section is intended to provide a background or context to the invention recited in the claims. The description herein may include concepts that could be pursued, but are not necessarily ones that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated herein, what is described in this section is not prior art to the description and claims in this application and is not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Lighting devices such as fluorescent light fixtures for interior applications (e.g. overhead fixtures in a building etc.) are typically supported in a suspended framework (e.g. for modular ceiling panels or the like), or are suspended directly from overhead structures. Suspended frameworks are typically installed and leveled separately for use with the ceiling panels. However, in some lighting applications such as high-bay lighting applications where ceiling panels (and their associated frameworks) are typically not used, the lighting fixtures are usually suspended from any of a wide variety of overhead structures which may (or may not) be relatively planar and/or level. In such applications, the fixtures are typically suspended from chains, wire rope, cables, or the like, which can be individually shortened or lengthened as necessary to arrange multiple fixtures at a relatively common elevation, and so that each fixture is substantially level to accomplish the intended lighting illumination pattern that is associated with the location and layout of the fixtures. The conventional use of chains, cables, ropes and the like for hanging and leveling lighting fixtures suffers from a number of important disadvantages, including tedious and time-consuming installation practices that occasionally result in inadequate installation of the fixtures.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a hanging and leveling system for quickly and conveniently suspending or supporting lighting fixtures such as fluorescent light fixtures, LED light fixtures, hybrid fluorescent/LED light fixtures, and other types of light fixtures from any of a wide variety of overhead structures.